Quadrifoglio's Quests
by Orange Diary
Summary: One winter night, an object of interest is exchanged between two boys. Seven years later, Aichi is seeking an answer, Kai is hunting a man, Kamui is trying not to get lost and Misaki is looking for a particular human vessel. Meanwhile, some people are out to play the fates and someone else is determined to cut the strings. Fantasy AU, inspired by Kung Fu Panda. Eventual Kaichi
1. Chapter 1: The Boy with Gloves

**Chapter 1 – The Boy with Gloves**

Aichi laid in the muddy snow, listening to bird songs and beast growls. Black foliage swayed in the limit of his vision and stray moonlight squeezed through the canopy. A wolf called in the distance. It was comforting, in a frightening way.

_If you are no longer scared, that means you are no longer alive. _His father's words were never truer this instance in the whole of his life.

_Father,_ He thought._ By the time I get back you will be there too, right?_

His mother told him the job would take six weeks; Aichi's own deadline was eight days. It was possible – really possible – that his father would have already come back when Aichi returned. He closed his eyes. It was a comforting thought in this cold place.

Something small and bony scurried over his thigh and he flinched sluggishly, curling his leg back in a futile attempt at self-protection. The slushy snow slowed his movement and his head bumped against an icy root. A burst of fear zipped across the back of his eyes. He lifted his head and-

The creature was back.

A clawed foot pressed down on the exposed flesh just beneath his chin, the metallic chill diffused into his skin. Then the shadow of a tyrannous beast loomed over his sight and Aichi gasped. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Featherless, furless, its body was a concentrate of gleaming edges and sharp lines. As he watched, smouldering ember burned softly from what looked like eye sockets.

"Hey," A voice said. "Are you human?"

Aichi stiffened. The creature breathed out a puff of heat on his frozen eyelids. A sliver of smoke curled out of the gap in its mouth, warming the tip of Aichi's nose. He tried to move his tongue but it caught behind his teeth.

"Overlord, back off," The voice ordered. The beast gave a raspy pant before removing its nails from Aichi's neck. It hopped onto the snow with a soft squelch and its position was replaced by a humanoid silhouette.

"Hey," The boy exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Aichi strained his lips to answer but the shape crouched down in front of him and extended a hand.

"Wow, you must be so cold," He said.

Aichi stared at the up-turned digits. It was smaller than most hands he'd seen and was clad in a dark, fingerless glove. It looked so strange from here. In his memory, there was a much larger hand. It was usually accompanied by a deep voice that said, _If it hurts, then don't fall again, Aichi._

"Grab hold," The stranger instructed, a little impatience creeping into his tone. "I'll pull you up."

So Aichi did. He placed his own ungloved hand into the gloved one. The boy tightened his damp hold and heaved Aichi to his feet with a grunt. They both tottered sideways and fell against neighbouring tree trunks.

"You're heavy," The boy said, having regained his balance. "What in the world were you doing, lying on the ground? Had people never told you that you could freeze to death?"

"I-I...," Aichi found his voice but not words. A wave of shame and embarrassment washed over him and he suddenly felt close to tears.

The other boy looked at him somewhat curiously. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, let's find a dryer spot." Aichi once again found his right hand in a warm, wet grip and then he was stumbling behind the taller boy.

"So, my name is Kai. Kai Toshiki." The boy trod forward purposefully. "What's yours?"

"Se-Sendou Aichi," Aichi answered tentatively. The stiffness in his legs loosened up and he let himself be dragged, passively, through the black maze of trunks, branches and bushes.

"What were you doing in this forest anyway, Sendou Aichi?" The boy named Kai said.

"I...," Aichi hesitated. He was not supposed to tell anyone, was he? But he wasn't supposed to meet anyone either. Mark-sensei only gave him a name and a one-sentence instruction before sending him off. "If you die, you fail by default-gozaru, Sendou-kun." He had said. Aichi had nodded and left silently. No one really told him whether he could ask people for help or not.

And just maybe, Kai knew where he could find that thing he was looking for.

Aichi fidgeted anxiously, almost walking into Kai when he stopped abruptly.

"This will have to do," he said, letting go of Aichi's hand. A hiss announced Overlord's agreement. Aichi curled his fingers at the loss of contact and stepped meekly out from behind Kai. Their destination was a small clearing. A little slanted and dark, it was relatively dry, as far as the dim torch that was Overlord's eyes allowed him to tell.

Kai started kicking away sodden branches and Overlord scraped at the slushy mess underneath with its tail. The recent snow had been followed by rain which casted a rather frigid and wet layer over the ground. Aichi bent to help them, feeling completely useless.

"Stop mucking around, Overlord," Kai glanced at the creature and dumped a relatively dry pile of twigs at his feet. "Come light a fire for us."

Overlord hopped towards them energetically. Aichi thought it looked happy, the way a pet dog would, except it had two legs instead of four and metallic scales that cover the full length of its body. If it wasn't moving around, he would have thought it was a piece of armour on display, like those he had seen in Mark-sensei's house. As he watched, Overlord made a rumbling sound and a flicker of yellow flared up on the tip of its narrow muzzle, followed by a blinding flash.

Aichi tripped and smacked his head on the tree behind him.

"Dammit, it's too wet," he heard Kai mumble as he tried to blink the bright blurry blob out of his sight. Before he could manage to, another flare assaulted his vision. This time the light lasted a whole few seconds and was accompanied by a continuous soft roaring. Aichi peeked at Overlord from between his fingers. What kind of Monster could breathe fire? Anxiety caught at the back of his throat and he bit his lips.

The twigs crackled and folded in the orange heat. Overlord stood back proudly and looked at them, smugness reflecting off his posture, as if to say, "See that? It's called perseverance."

Kai brushed his fingers over the budding flame and sighed in contentment. "Come sit down, Sendou Aichi."

Aichi complied with a slight hesitation on the other side of the fire. Kai dropped down heavily and flung his backpack next to him. He stripped off his cloak and gloves and placed them close to the flames, which Overlord continued to nurture with small puffs. Mustering courage, Aichi stretched his now no-longer-frozen fingers towards the heat too.

They sat there in silence, feeling the cold drain away and the tension slacken.

"So," Kai began. "Let's have a formal introduction. This is Overlord," He pointed at the armoured creature.

"What is it?" Aichi couldn't suppress his curiosity. He felt a tad rude right after asking, having referred to Overlord as an 'it'.

"He's a mechanical fire seeker. Actually, he's my master's fire seeker, but I tend to think of him as a very useful lighter," Kai explained. Then he looked inquiringly at Aichi. "What about you, Sendou Aichi? What are you doing alone in this forest? Without gloves too."

Technically, Aichi didn't have anything besides the clothes on his back and a short hunting knife. "I'm…," He mumbled. "I'm looking for something."

Kai frowned. Aichi shifted nervously and continued.

"It's called a _lozenge magus._ It's a white flower that blooms in the coldest mornings. I have to find it and return to the village in eight days."

Kai stared at him.

"Um, do you know anything about it, Kai-kun?" Aichi asked.

Overlord snorted. Kai laughed.

"Do you need dried ones or fresh ones?" He asked. "If you want them dried, then you have to get to the nearest town with a tea market. If you are looking for fresh ones, you just have to…" He twisted his head to look around. "…wait until morning then pluck it from _there_." He pointed at a short bush two metres behind Aichi.

Aichi turned to the bush. He felt heat creeping up his face. Embarrassment clawed at his inside and he squeezed out an 'oh'.

Kai watched him. "Is it a test?"

"Huh?"

"Collecting a common flower. Is it a test of your courage?"

_Courage._ Aichi's heart sank. That was what it was all along and Kai figured it out. This first test, supposedly something that is different for everyone, was to cover the things they were the worst at. Aichi, shy, weak, 'spineless' Aichi, what was better than to make him spend eight whole days alone in a creepy forest? He heard that when the other children fail – which were quite often – the adults tend to find them in horrible conditions. He knew of a girl who never spoke since and a boy whom he had never seen since.

What would happen to him?

The fire cackled and incinerated the little bit of hope and confidence he had.

"It is your first day today?" Kai asked, pushing a thick branch carefully into the fire.

"Y-yes."

"Do you think you will fail?"

Aichi looked down at his hands. "Yes," He whispered.

"Why?" Kai looked at him intently. Aichi felt a lump rising up his throat.

"B-because," Aichi said. "I'm weak and scardy, I'm slow and I can't f-fight."

"Is that what people say to you?"

"Well, not always. But…"

"Then you're not like that," Kai decided. "You just think you're like that."

"Huh?" This was the first time Aichi ever heard something so ridiculous. He didn't know what to make of it. "I'm not…"

"Hold on," Kai shook his head. Then he reached over to undo his backpack. "I'll give you something," He said, digging through the content.

"Um," Aichi tried again. "The other children are all faster and stronger than me. They don't cry when they get hurt."

"Wait," Kai said, apparently given up on the bag because he was now digging through his pockets. Aichi watched him go through his trousers, shirt, jacket and lots of hidden pockets under the many layers he wore. For the first time since their meeting, Aichi examined the strange boy. He knew that Kai was tall, but now that he stood up, he could see Kai was easily a head taller than himself. The firelight highlighted his gravity-defying hair red-gold and his sharp eyes narrowed in concentration.

He suddenly snatched up a fabric wallet triumphantly. "Found it," Aichi's eyes followed Kai's hand as he reached into the pouch to produce a something long and thin. It glinted in the flame.

Kai sat back down. "Come over here, Sendou Aichi."

Aichi got to his feet hesitantly and settled next to him. Kai scooted closer.

"This," He opened up Aichi's hand and dropped the object into his palm. Aichi gasped. "Is Blaster Blade."

* * *

**Thanks for reaching the end of the page! **

**I started writing this nonsensical thingamajig because I want to escape my other fic and 'real stuff' for a while. The setting is really confusing, even to me. It's like a warped version of Kung Fu Panda-verse, with people instead of animals, Japanese names instead of Chinese, and approximately 600% higher mortality rate. Other characters will come out soon! I'd like your ideas on them, but I realise I haven't given you enough to start with. Be patient and wait a little while? :3**

**Next chapter: Snow and a Lie.**


	2. Chapter 2: Snow and a Lie

**Chapter 2 – Snow and a Lie**

Aichi's hand trembled and he held up his other hand for support. _Blaster Blade?_

"I don't know why it's called Blaster Blade," Kai said. "It just is."

"What is it?" Aichi asked.

"A key."

"A key?" Aichi stared at the strange thing that spanned across his two hands. It was mostly a stark white like that of Kai's jacket, with dark lines that could be blue running along the edges on either side. The slim length of the blade extended out in a streamlined arrow, widening ever so slightly on the way, before fanning out sharply and tapering softly to a point. If you thought of the stuck-out part on the other end as the sword hilt, then the cross guard would be the white flared wings which thinned to envelope the blade like petals.

The strangest thing was the dark red stone set in the middle of the cross guard. It really didn't look like something that could be on a key. In fact, keys that Aichi had ever seen in his eight years of life were only ever grey or bronze, with the occasional mossy green. This incredibly weird and expensive looking key, what could it be for?

"Um, Kai-kun…"

"It's yours," Kai said.

Aichi gaped at him. "I can't...I mean, it's so expen…!"

"It's not," Kai cut him off. "I just found it. Besides, I didn't say to sell it."

Now Aichi was really confused. He wasn't thinking of selling it.

Kai continued, "To me, it's just a useless key. To you it's something else entirely. Hold it like this," He grabbed Aichi's hands and turned them marginally downwards. The firelight caught in the flat side of the blade and shone briefly into Aichi's eyes. "Now, what do you see?"

Aichi was at a loss. Where could Kai be going with this? "I see a very large key.""No, not the key. What do you see in the key?"

_Huh?_ Aichi scrutinised the blade. He saw a key. Or a key disguised as a sword. If he stare hard enough, he could even see a sword disguised as a key.

Kai gave up.

"Look, think of the middle part as a mirror," He sighed. "Now what do you see?"

"A mirror?" Aichi echoed. He fixed his concentration on the key once more. Sure enough, the strip of shiny metal in the middle could really be a mirror. He tilted it to face himself a bit more, and held it away from himself. There, framed on top and bottom by horizontal edges, was his own face. Wide pools of darkness stared back at him, uncertainty written in the lines of his irises. He looked exactly like he had always been. This couldn't be what Kai wanted him to see. "I-I don't see anything."

Kai frowned in irritation. He shuffled to behind Aichi and reached over his shoulders to grasp the key in both hands. "Everyone sees something when they look into a mirror," He said emphatically. "You see Sendou Aichi."

In the reflection, Aichi saw himself shiver.

"The Sendou Aichi in here is not a small and wimpy kid," Kai continued. "He is tall and strong, he has friends and allies. Most of all, he is a warrior worthy of wielding the Sword of Legends, defender of the weak – Blaster Blade!"

Aichi's brain slowed to a stop and he dropped the key with a shudder. "I-I'm not like that, Kai-kun…!"

"That's why you should use your imagination," Kai responded, picking up Blaster Blade from the ground and planting it back in Aichi's hand. "When you can imagine, you can do it. That's what my master said."

"Your master?" Aichi looked to Kai, who shrugged offhandedly.

"One of the few things out of his mouth that aren't jokes or lies."

Aichi looked back at the key. "Oh." Then, could this really be true? Could he really become tall and strong, like his father?

"Believe it, Aichi. You are strong." Kai's voice was firm.

Aichi turned to him in wonder. This strange boy, someone whom he had only met for no more than twenty minutes, suddenly took on a solid importance. The fire lit his features with fiery gold lines, flickering like Aichi's own heartbeat. There was no mockery in Kai's eyes. Revelation thumped in Aichi's chest. _Kai-kun is the strong one. _He was the tallest, strongest, most _incredible_ person Aichi had ever met. His voice shone brighter than any light Aichi had ever known.

There was so much he wanted to say, but they all shied away from his mind, leaving only a phrase of gratitude and welling eyes. "Thank you, Kai-kun."

Kai grinned slightly. "You're welcome. You are lucky I found you before you froze to death by yourself."

Aichi ducked his head in embarrassment. "I'm s-sorry."

"Don't be," Kai yawned. "Quit apologising. You will make people think you are weak."

"Right. So-," Aichi began before clamping his lips shut. He nodded instead. Kai glanced at him with a slight smirk.

"I'm tired. Are you, Sendou Aichi?"

"Yeah," Aichi smiled. He liked the way Kai said his name like he would call a grown man.

"Right then, let's go to sleep," He yawned again and grabbed his oversized cloak by the fire and dragged it over himself. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Aichi answered. He glance at the fire and found that Overlord was already asleep, curled up on his front with his tail in the glowing ember. He smiled again and lay down on his side, facing Kai's back.

The fire continued to burn softly.

Aichi closed his eyes and imagined returning to the village. His mother would hug him and cook up a colourful meal for him and his father. Yes, his father would be proud of him. He would pat his head when Mark-sensei told him how Aichi had passed his test. Aichi would be very happy. The other children would play with him and maybe he could…

"Come over here, Aichi," Kai's voice scattered his thoughts. Aichi opened his eyes to find that Kai had turned around and was looking at him intently. Aichi shuffled towards him. Kai sat up and moved even closer, then flipped his cloak open and draped it over them both. Warmth bloomed inside Aichi's chest and his nose suddenly felt stuffed up. Kai lay back down.

A breeze filled in the silence that followed. Leaves danced softly over their heads.

"You will pass this test, Aichi," Kai said, his eyes open and fixed on the sky.

"Mm," Aichi followed his gaze. Even if there was no star and no moon, the sky was still beautiful.

"But you need a map, and gloves. You can't forget your gloves."

"Mm," Aichi breathed sleepily into the fabric. It smelt warm.

"Never forget the gloves…Never…forget…" Kai's voice drifted in and out of the calm.

Aichi dreamed of warm hands and laughter.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, Aichi found himself next to a patch of cold and wet charcoal. On its side were a neatly folded map and a pair of burgundy gloves.

He still had the cloak on him. Kai was gone.

* * *

**It's short, but hopefully not too bad :3**

**This is part two out of three of the prologue. I'll try to finish the last part in the break after my 3 tests next week ^v^**

**Next Chapter: Home.**


	3. Chapter 3: Home

**Yay, I made a cover pic! But what's with that red squiggle? It looks like a hyped slug on a quest, yuck. D:**

**By the way I changed the 1st chappie just a little, because it bugged me that Aichi called his dad with a Japanese suffix, not that this fic has ever gone within miles of being 'logical' to begin with. This change extends to this and future chapters. While I rot within the confines of 'school work', Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Home**

"I'm home," Aichi called tentatively though the door. He pushed gently and it swung open with ease. That scared him a bit, considering its ruinous state before he left. Who could have fixed it?

He treaded lightly on the smooth wooden floor. "Mother," he tried again. It was eerily still.

_Are they out?_ Aichi wondered. It shouldn't be the case, as his mother was never an outdoors person, let along leaving the house in the middle of winter. She would rather brew tea and make jars and jars of brown stuff that Aichi always saw her stash in the basement.

A patter of footsteps broke his rising anxiety. A small shape darted out from around the corner and cannoned toward him. "Eeeee!"

On instinct, Aichi bent down to catch the object neatly into his arms. It giggled.

Aichi smiled.

"Emi, you've grown," He brushed a hand over her soft fringe. It bounced back to its original unruly arrangement on her forehead.

"Grown?" She looked at him with wide eyes, radiating confusion.

He laughed. Of course it was a lie – how could anyone grow over eight days? But she looked so happy she seemed different, like he had left for ages. He missed her playing with his hair, even if it hurt a little when she used it as a lever to stand on her tiptoes. Her cheerful spirit lifted his mood greatly.

"Aichi," A familiar voice said. Aichi looked up to see his mother leaning against the wall, smiling.

"Mother," He stood up and dashed towards her a little too quickly. She caught him in a vast embrace that sent tingles through his nerves. He breathed in the scent of her warmth and his nose acted up again, threatening tears to overflow from its storage space. She stroked the back of his head slowly and repetitively. He felt her strong heartbeat through the materials of her clothes.

"How was the task, Aichi?"

"I passed," He mumbled. "I gave the flowers to Mark-sensei before coming home."

"That's good," She said softly and let go of him. "Are you hungry? I will get Mutsuki-san to cook something for you. "

"Thank you, Mother," He smiled. Come to think of it, he really was hungry. There was a hard, slightly painful knot sitting in his stomach. His eye sockets felt strained and bruised and a light headache tapped on the back of his eyelids. He reckoned there were probably slabs of mud, dirt and sweat plastering the layers of his clothes together. It didn't take him long to decide that he needed a bath.

It was later that the fatigue set in, causing his field of vision to narrow alarmingly and he almost dropped his chopsticks from his awkwardly twisted grip. His head's weight on his neck was becoming increasingly heavy. His mother's voice floated through the thin wall, talking soothingly to Emi in the other room. Aichi heard the words 'father' and 'dinner' and they made him smile so hard he thought the rice in his mouth was going to spill out.

The rest of the evening was a blur.

Aichi remembered zombie-ing to his bed, his mother's fingers combing through his hair briefly, the cold breeze that Jun shut out from the window and how _right_ it was to sleep in his own bed.

He woke up to a flash of lightning followed by a scattered rumble. He shivered, thinking back to when he was leaning against a wet tree trunk, hoping desperately for the grey clouds above to hold out for another day. _But it's all okay now. _He sighed contently and snuggled into his blanket. He was home, dry, warm and away from all the terrible things out there.

_What would Kai be doing now?_ He wondered. The thought made the corners of his lips curl upwards, but it slipped off a moment later when he realised it was raining really hard outside.

_And he doesn't have his gloves. _He thought in dismay. Was he cold? Tired? Could he be in the forest still? Aichi gripped his blanket and brought it under his chin. He shouldn't have gotten Kai's gloves. He really shouldn't have. After all, Aichi was warm and tucked comfortably in bed while Kai could still be in the cold, pawing through branches with frozen fingers to light a tiny fire.

What's more, Aichi couldn't find him now to give him the gloves.

Then a thought hit him so hard he gasped and bolded upright. _What happened to the gloves? _

He remembered bathing, and when he finished, all the clothes he changed out of were gone. Someone must have taken them to be washed, or thrown away if necessary. Aichi knew the gloves were worn-looking – the right one had a hole on its palm, and most of the finger holes were frayed and somewhat split at the edges. Despite its shabby look, the material held surprising elasticity and strength and he loved the way it kept him warm. If a servant glance at its pitiful exterior and decided that it didn't deserve cleaning anymore, they would –

Aichi flung the blanket around his shoulders and staggered to the door.

The Sendou estate was large, in comparison to most of the other houses and estates around. Technically, the house that Aichi lived in was not the Sendou main house – which was a much, much bigger architecture to the west of the village – but it could still have the name 'Sendou' due to its impressive size (something Aichi could not understand). Whereas the main house had an authoritatively traditional feel to it, with its high gate and intricate décor inside out, Aichi's home was a fresh and comfortable addition to the almost weary atmosphere of the village. A finely glazed brick fence and trimmed shrubbery surrounded a U-shaped assembly of sub-buildings, which in turn hugged a hexagonal courtyard. Roofs tilted proudly upwards in folds of red, complementing the maroon walls and decks. On a good day, the entire place smelled of sophisticated simplicity.

But on a not-so-good day, like today, the attractiveness became treacherousness.

Aichi nudged the door to the courtyard open and was immediately assaulted by furious wind and a pounding barrage of rain. He ducked his head and staggered clumsily down the rain-slick steps. The little bit of day light provided by the murky sky was enough for him to trip across the yard, stepping all over the corners of his blanket along the way. He made it to the other side without falling on his face.

"Mutsuki-kun," he called, straining to outdo the cacophonic storm in the background. "Mutsuki-kun!"

There was light through the gap in the bottom of the Jun's door. Aichi's hope leaped. _Perhaps he really is inside. _Then his toes caught painfully on the last step and his shoulders crashed into the wooden railing.

The door opened. Jun's startled face greeted him. "Aichi-kun?" Surprised turned instantaneously to mortification. "Why are you all wet?"

Aichi's sodden blanket slipped onto the floor in a defeated bundle. "Th-the…" He stammered. "What did you do to the…?"

Jun hauled him through the doorway. "You're gonna get me into trouble," He grumbled, looking frantically around the room for water absorbent material. "If you get sick right after surviving that huge whatever, my dad will skin me."

"Sorry," Aichi bit his lips. "But anyway, did you wash the gloves I brought back, Mutsuki-kun?"

"Glove?" Jun asked and threw a cloth over Aichi's head. "You mean those mangy old things?"

"Yes, those," Aichi looked at him hopefully. "You didn't throw it away?"

Jun frowned. "No. That's the reason you ran all the way here?"

Aichi relaxed in relief. "Someone gave them to me."

"It's not like you can give them back," Jun scoffed. "Hurry and dry yourself and get back to your room. You've got to put on something dry."

Aichi smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mutsuki-kun."

"Hurry and go," Jun grunted. "You're lucky I'm not with my Dad in the kitchen. Or you have to run all the way to the back."

Aichi paused. "You're allowed in the kitchen, Mutsuki-kun?"

"Yeah, since a week ago."

"Oh."

Aichi left through the interior corridors.

He hoped he wouldn't get a cold, so Jun's dad wouldn't get mad, then Jun wouldn't get a beating. It wouldn't be fair if that was to happen. After all, Jun was one of the few people in the entire village who paid him any attention, even if it_ was_ his job. Aichi liked him. He wasn't sure if Jun liked him much but he was happy all the same.

They had known each other for quite some time, ever since Aichi's family had moved out of the main house, from which Jun and his father accompanied them. Jun's father, Mutsuki-san, was a very scary man. Aichi avoided the kitchen where he worked, not because he yelled at Aichi – he never had – but that Aichi almost always found him yelling at someone or other. Even outside of the kitchen, the man's temper rang through the estate. Perhaps that was the reason he was only ever called Mutsuki-san by everyone. Nothing more, nothing less.

As for Jun, being his son, had to be called Mutsuki-kun.

Aichi took the long way, dragging his blanket behind him. He trekked around the kitchen and past the study where he normally had his literary classes, and stopped short because there was someone in it. His movement caught the attention of the closest figure and she turned.

"Aichi, you're awake," His mother said, smiling. Then a frown crossed her eyebrows. "What happened, Aichi? Did you go outside?" She trotted towards him. "You'll catch a cold."

"Now, now," Said the other occupant of the room, which turned out to be Mark-sensei. "Sendou-kun is a hot-blooded young man – he isn't afraid of the cold. There's nothing to worry about." He leaned down at Aichi. "Right, Sendou-kun?"

Aichi nodded mutely. His mother's shoulders slumped in exasperation.

Mark-Sensei grinned. "Besides, Shizuka-san, do we not have something for Sendou-kun?"

_For me? _Aichi felt apprehension crawling up his spine.

"Ah, yes," Shizuka straightened up. "We've just received your father's correspondence."

"Father's…?" Aichi wasn't sure what it meant, but it must be something quite good. "Father is coming back?"

Shizuka pursed her lips. "No, it's a letter from him. Actually, his job has extended to another eighteen months."

Aichi's eyes widened. _Eighteen? _

"And how many years is that, Sendou-kun?"

_18 is more than 12, so…_ "Two years?" He answered in dismay.

"One and a half, Sendou-kun."

"Oh, sorry."

Still, one and a half year was a really long time. Just when Aichi really, really wanted to tell him he passed his first ever test too…

Shizuka ruffled Aichi's hair. "Your father is busy. He's protecting some very important man in a faraway place. He asked about you in the letter."

Aichi felt tears prickling in the corner of his eyes. "He did?"

Shizuka smiled. "Yes. He says congratulations on passing."

Aichi blinked. "Huh?"

Then pride and elation bubbled over in his chest. _He believed I would pass. _His father's strong shadow never felt so close. Aichi could almost see his angular features softening just a little and feel the weight of his large hand on Aichi's shoulders, pushing him forward, showing him the way, believing in him.

_That is why, _Aichi placed his hand slowly but firmly over his heart. _I will do my best to become the strong person you believe I can be. _He will grow taller and stronger and braver, and when his father came back, he would show him how much he had grown. By then, hopefully he would be worthy of Blaster Blade.

_Someone like Kai-kun?_ A small part of himself asked. _Yes, like Kai-kun,_ The large part of him replied.

Aichi smiled.

* * *

A weeks later, Aichi passed his second test.

A month after that, Jun disappeared.

A year afterwards, Aichi's father's job extended yet again, this time to the next four years.

Another year later, Aichi became a functional member of the village.

Then, after another two years, almost four years since Aichi passed his first test, Sendou-san died.

* * *

**Next chapter: People Change.**


	4. Chapter 4: People Change

**So, the adventure starts here! Sorry for that prologue, I'm not a big fan of flashbacks so I'd rather start things off in the very beginning. Since the synopsis of this story is vague and useless, here is a slightly better summary:**

**Almost everyone in the story is looking for something, and they will find it if they manage to live to that day. There will be obscure characters popping up everywhere and I haven't made up most of their identities, so it'd be great if anyone wants to suggest anything^^**

**I forgot to add '-gozaru' to Mark-Sensei's speech in the last chapter. Oh well.**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – People Change**

"It was a complete disaster, Suwabe."

The young man heaved a sign and leaned heavily into his chair. It was a rather expensive furniture; delicate carvings traced over the top of the dark red wood and flowed into the armrests. They matched the swirls on the man's wide silk sleeves.

"I'm terribly sorry," The other man in the room bowed with a shut-eyed grimace. "But at least your goal was accomplished, Young Master."

"My goal?" The man raised an angry eyebrow. "I have a feeling that you had misunderstood, Suwabe."

"Um, My apologies, Young Master."

"Let me enlighten you then," The man picked up the steaming cup of tea beside him and took a dainty sip. "I did want my father gone, as well as my mother's pet dog, but not this way. If I had left things alone, the old brute would have found out anyhow. My mother was that stupid a woman."

"The late Lord Miyaji was a very smart man," Suwabe commented.

"Don't give him too much credit, Suwabe," The man waved his free hand dismissively. "He just made people think that he was, and talk louder than anyone else to affirm his own intelligence. My mother was stupid; her man was stupider. That is all there was." He took another sip. "However, if my father had found out, more than two people would pay. Why do you think that is, Suwabe?"

"Eh," Suwabe scratched his chin. "The late Lord Miyaji was a very prideful man."

"Exactly. Or rather, arrogant and spiteful. He would take my mother's infidelity as a personal jab at his authoritativeness. Driven to paranoia and humiliation, the only possible solution he could come up with would be–" The man pause minutely. "–eradication. He would either send some blockhead guard in or even do it himself."

Suwabe shuddered. "How barbaric," He muttered.

The other man chuckled. "That was the sort of man he was. I was prepared to let him fall, if not for the fact that his senseless stunt would completely destroy the Miyaji name. Imagine this scenario, Suwabe. The fool would try to cover it up; spinning lies, bribing men, silencing my mother. But a murder is not something that man can handle. By the end of the day, everything would be all over the floor.

"So I took the necessary measures," The young man drank the last of his tea and sighed. "I could not let him undo everything my ancestors had strived so hard to achieve."

"You did absolutely the right thing, Young Master," Suwabe refilled his cup carefully. "But there is something I don't understand; isn't the current situation what you wished for?"

"You should let me finish first, Suwabe," The young man frowned. "I was getting there."

Suwabe stepped away and tugged at his large sleeves nervously. "My apologies. Please continue, Young Master."

The man inhaled the steam over his cup deeply. "Since you're impatient, I'll get straight to the point. My wish is the same as my ancestors': to preserve the purity of the Miyaji name. For generations, the Miyaji house was the symbol of wealth and elegance, until a certain ruffian succeeded as the head and singlehandedly dragged our image into the dirt." He paused to take a sip. "Therefore, in order to regain what we have lost, I must get rid of my father. Not by just any conventional means, I needed _his_ name in the dirt."

Suwabe's expression lit up. "I see. How clever of you, Young Master."

The man pursed his lips. "It's nothing more than common sense. And the point being that particular wish was not fulfilled." A hint of annoyance coloured his tone. "And it was your job, Suwabe."

"I'm terribly sorry, Young Master. I made sure to deduct from the assassin's pay–"

"How many times have I told you, Suwabe?" The man exclaimed. "It was never about money! The name is all that matters! How many more times do I have to tell you that?"

"S-sorry, Young Master."

The young lord sighed. "I wanted that man shamed, even in his grave. He should have been known to have murdered my mother's man in a fit of rage, then die by his own blood-stained hands. But now that the assassin offed the both of them so cheaply and quietly, naturally my wish was not met. Do you get it now?"

Suwabe gave a close-eyed smile. "I think so, Young Master. I did specify to the assassin but—"

"Ah, I'm tired," The man yawned dramatically. He placed his teacup lightly onto the saucer and looked directly at his companion. "I'm not in a good mood, Suwabe. Somebody did not do his job well. I have only managed to avert the worst but the situation is still in a negative state. I still have much to do."

Suwabe fidgeted anxiously. The other man stood and walked to the door. Before it opened he turned around.

"One more thing, Suwabe. Do not hire poisoners again. Miyaji is the best tea trader in the province; we do not have affiliation with poisons of any sort."

"Yes, Young Mas…m-my lord," Suwabe bowed.

The young lord of the Miyaji house smiled.

* * *

"Nice day today. Ain't it, Kai?"

"Dry enough for a forest fire," Kai muttered.

Miwa laughed. "Now, now, don't go around jinxing things."

Kai sniffed. He was being serious. The air was chilly and breezy but at the same time incredibly tangible. He could almost feel an imminent nose bleed.

_Damn troublesome._

He didn't expect much anyway; being sent down to the countryside meant that all his major jobs are over, and the only thing he had to do is wait it out, all the while shuffling with small missions, until the coronation of the new Emperor taking place in a month's time. He didn't mind the break, but he disliked dealing with farmers – all they ever thought about were the crops and family. Talking rules and empire to them was like teaching a foreign language across a brick wall.

Kai touched his nose. It wasn't bleeding. _Yet. _He sighed inwardly. The phantom itch under his right glove scratched persistently at the edge of his mind.

At least Miwa was here to do all the talking.

"Hey, Kai!" Miwa's voice breached his flimsy attention.

"Yeah?" But sometimes he wished Miwa would talk less.

"Something's over there," Miwa pointed ahead of them. Kai followed his finger with a squint. "I think we've almost arrived. That's Hitsue, isn't it?"

"Probably."

Miwa grinned and patted his back. "Try to be more exited, yeah? This is the first time we're on holiday, not to mention we've never been here before." He spun around dramatically. "Isn't the countryside beautiful? You can almost smell the emptiness."

Idiotic questions didn't need answers. Kai ignored Miwa, who skipped on ahead. Instead, he looked for the supposed land-ahoy, but couldn't spot anything beyond dirt and trees. He clucked his tongue in annoyance. His mood had been spiralling downwards since morning, when he and Miwa got chased out of the inn by the owner for rudeness and, obscurely put, indecency, all because somebody's mouth was a size too big. And now that person was yakking about invisible resorts and other crap.

Kai resisted the urge to reach under his glove. The itch was playing on his mind like a fly.

Besides, Miwa was wrong; he had been here before, a long time ago.

"Hey, Kai," Miwa called. "Something interesting is going on here."

Kai brushed past him. "Not interested."

"Don't say that yet," Miwa chided lightly and grabbed his sleeve. "Look," He said. "Those guys over there."

Kai frowned in irritation. Whatever that was happening was none of his business. "Miwa," He stated blandly. "I won't see anything if you don't let me get to it first."

Miwa released Kai's arm with a laugh. "Sorry, sorry, forgot about your short-sightedness."

Kai ignored the unreasonable little jab. His eyes were perfectly fine; Miwa was the weird one.

They approached the antsy figures across the stretch of dirt road leisurely. What Kai initially thought was a small crowd (from description) turned out to be just three people, standing with varying postures on the side of the road. The tallest leaned over the shortest in forced intimidation; only a strip of his face was visible under spiky mid-part hair, due to the tacky grey mask that moulded over his face like an overgrown beard. His curly haired companion stood square-shouldered behind him in similar dress, minus the eye-sore of a headband the other man wore. The ends of the ugly cloth drifted raggedly in the breeze.

Miwa stopped to survey the scene curiously. "If I'm not wrong," He grabbed Kai's shoulder. "This looks like bullying."

Kai shrugged him off. "Whatever it is, I don't care."

Miwa hastily stepped in front of him. "Hey, hold on. What about the poor kid?"

Kai glanced at the victim; just a pathetic specimen with overly eye-catching hair. He grunted and moved to step around Miwa, who intercepted.

"Come on, Kai. We're big hearted people, aren't we?" There was just a hint of something like amusement in Miwa's tone, hidden like the tip of something bigger, harder. Kai retracted his prepared snappy retort and narrowed his eyes. _So he wants to play._

"Help him yourself then."

Miwa grinned. "I knew you have some heart in there. You just needed a push."

Kai shoved him away.

The brunet bandit – the loyal and not so brawny sidekick – had been glaring at hurrying passers-by the entire time during his companion's intimidation show, but when he met Miwa eyes, his gaze faltered. No mad man would trot towards a robber with a face that belonged in a daily reunion between the weary woodcutter and his loving wife.

Meanwhile, Mid-part was jabbing a finger at Stupid Cut's chest, forcing him back with each jab. Stupid Cut looked at his assailants fearfully, clutching foolishly tightly onto something in front of him. Mid-part unsurprisingly lunged and swiped it from him with a triumphant 'aha'. Stupid Cut's face crumpled in distress.

Kai sighed inwardly and followed Miwa, slower and not at all purposeful.

Curly tapped Mid-part's shoulder, all the while watching the approaching Miwa, but was met with a growl and a whack. Curly glance at Stupid Cut, to Miwa again, and back at Mid-part. "Um, there's a guy coming ov—"

"What the heck _is_ this thing, huh?" Mid-part looked menacingly at Stupid Cut. "Tell me it's a grade three."

Stupid Cut took a quivering half step forward. "G-give it back, please!"

"Morikawa…" Curly attempted to gain Mid-part's attention again, to no avail.

"Besides an empty wallet you only have this worthless junk?" Mid-part brandished the object wildly. "Why the hell did you not oil your grandpa's legacy, huh? Or is it actually your ex-girlfriend's comb?" He scrutinised the object and Stupid Cut with squinted eyes before concluding. "Nah, a puny insect like you won't catch the girls."

"P-please give it back," Stupid Cut pled pitifully. "Someone important gave it to me. Please…"

"No way in the ninetieth floor of Hell! You wasted my effort of coming all the way over here and only got me a grade zero. You think I'm stupid?"

Miwa's grinning face was now only meters away. Curly grabbed at Mid-part's elbow weakly. "M-Morikawa, there's a creep coming this way!"

"Shup up, Izaki!" Mid-part snapped. "This guy…"

"Yo, my fellow living beings," Miwa's arms went around Mid-part and Curly's shoulders. He dipped his blond head from side to side to look at the both of them. "How's the empire treating you?"

Mid-part – or rather, Morikawa, as Kai knew now – glared. "The hell are you?"

Miwa laughed amicably. "No one special. Whachadoin'?"

Morikawa forced Miwa's arm off with a huff. "None of your business. You're too un-special to be part of it."

Miwa guffawed. "Ah, that's right; I'm so worthless, might as well be a grade zero, huh?"

"You?" Morikawa retorted incredulously. "No way. You're like, grade negative two." He pulled Izaki from Miwa's awkward hold and growled. "I have no time for your mumble jumble crap. Let's go, Izaki. I've a reputation as the strongest to keep."

Kai breathed a sigh of relief. _Finally._ Idiocy over, time to get a move on. He turned. Something caught his eye; a glimmer against the sun, the object dubbed 'grade zero' traced a platinum curve in the autumn air, thin blue-black whipped briefly across his vision. A pulse of red flashed mockingly before disappearing into Morikawa's clothes.

Something heavy and cold shuddered against Kai's heart.

"Ah," The forgotten little blunet called out shakily. "Please don't take it away. Give me back Blaster Blade," He reached out with a panicked hand. "Please, it's very important to me…"

Morikawa scoffed. "You still going on about that? I told you—"

"Give me that key." Kai heard his own voice between his heart beats, low and hard.

Morikawa paled and stepped back instinctively. "W-Why should I listen to you, jerk face?"

Kai regarded him with cold silence. He felt the ice inside him pulsing, growing, climbing into his blood.

"Che," Morikawa looked away. "You can have it. It's junk anyway." He extracted the key and lobbed it at Miwa, who caught it with a startled expression. "Let's go, Izaki."

Izaki tore his terrified gaze from Kai and looked to Morikawa. "O-oh, right. Okay."

He searched frantically in his pockets and pulled out a small square object to throw it on the ground. Nothing happened at first, and then the world switched to a pungent grey cloud.

Miwa and the blunet coughed and sneezed. Kai stood impassively, seeing nothing. The wind blew around them soothingly.

"Great gods," Miwa exclaimed while wiping his nose on his sleeve. "It smelt like something died in the chimney." He patted the blunet on the back sympathetically. "You alright, kid?"

The blunet nodded furiously. "Th-thank you."

Miwa grinned and extended the blade-key towards him. "Here you go. Becare—"

Kai snatched it out of his hand.

The blunet gasped. Miwa cried indignantly. Kai swept his gaze across the key. Streamlined edges and points laid contrastingly white on his dark gloved palm. He averted his sight to meet blue eye, under a mop of blue hair.

"Kai-kun…" his voice was a mixture of uncertainty and hopefulness. Those pointlessly wide eyes reflected his own face back at him without distortion. There was a transparent fragility in them that, Kai decided, disgusted him very, _very_ much.

He closed his fist over the key, slowly, painfully.

"You are not worthy of this Blaster Blade," He held the gaze, and relished in the sight of those mirrors cracking. "I am taking it back, Sendou Aichi."

* * *

**A/n: There's nothing much in this chapter, but I feel like I butchered everybody's character already, especially Miwa and Prez… Forgive me, Prez, for evilfying you before I even know your name...I'm just curious, does anyone know? Btw those 'grade whatever' aren't important at all, just Morikawa talk.**

**Next chapter: Hitsue and the Peach Valley**


	5. Chapter 5: Hitsue and the Peach Valley

**I****'m so sorry I died for such a long time. I know it doesn't amount to much but I apologise by posting the last two chapters within a week of each other. Err, that sounds really insincere. Well, here's chapter 5 and I really hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Hitsue and the Peach Valley**

It was like all his blood froze solid and turned to rip a hole in his heart. It hurt, but Aichi couldn't even tell how. Kai's words seemed to have turned his consciousness inside out, slicing up his thoughts until he didn't think he could feel anymore.

The face was from the past; Kai's wild hair, crystalline eyes and gloved hands. But the voice – _his voice_ – was so new yet matched him so flawlessly, the past that he thought he knew so well was reduced to a fracture shard, lingering but not belonging to the present.

Maybe Aichi had been much too eager to frame it as his brightest memory, hanging the picture so high and watching the light played over the glass and thought it was magic. But the artist was short-sighted and weak-willed and none of the lines looked right now.

His eyes hurt. His head hurt. Something in his chest hurt too. He tried to reach for Blaster Blade but it was no longer where it had always been. His damp palm met his own trembling fingertips and he felt pathetic tears behind his eyelids.

The hand on his shoulder shocked him out of his empty thoughts.

He focused to see blond hair and clear grey eyes. Kai's companion looked at him curiously. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Aichi nodded. His face felt tight, like he tried to smile but couldn't. He vaguely remembered that this person had asked him the same question not long ago.

"So, hmm…Aichi," The stranger said. "I'm Miwa Taishi. Where are you going now?"

The question was rather unexpected. Aichi momentarily overcame his welling self-pity.

"I, eh…" He was about to answer when Kai's cloak fluttered in the corner of his vision as he turned away. Whatever Aichi was thinking before disappeared in a single, painful heartbeat. He flicked his sight to Kai's back behind Miwa and his tongue fumbled clumsily. "T-to, um…"

Miwa glanced at Kai, then lunged to pull him to a stop. Kai turned, annoyance written all over his face. "Let go."

Miwa released him. "Fine, just don't go yet," He turned back to Aichi expectantly. "Yes?"

Aichi dodged his gaze. It was too direct. "I'm going towards Hitsue."

Miwa grinned. "How convenient! We're go–" He quickly grabbed onto Kai's cloak, when the latter started to leave again. "Kai and I are heading to Hitsue too. Let's go together." Kai jerked the material out of Miwa's hand with a glare and stalked off.

Miwa straightened with a half dramatic sigh. He patted Aichi reassuringly. "Don't mind him, Aichi. He's always like that."

Aichi watched Kai's back. "Always?"

Miwa hummed. "Yeah, well, most of the time."

"Oh."

Kai's murky green-grey cloak shifted around him fluidly, his scarf sat in a dark red slash across his neck and shoulders. The wind ruffled his hair, which shone and caught the sunlight and made Aichi dizzy.

_When both are so brilliant, would you trust the present or the past?_

"Let's catch up to him, shall we?" Miwa asked.

Aichi exhaled quietly and smiled. "Mm, yeah."

* * *

Hitsue – or more accurately, _Village of the Oracle Guardian_ as how it was written on the map – sat in the Southwest of the Empire, not too far from the capital. It has a population into the thousands, being a tourism favourite for its scenic views, unique cuisine and most of all, the peach forest on the outskirt of the village. That being the case, but among the general folks it was still considered rural and so, in Miwa and Kai's employer's opinion, was count as a breath of fresh air from the overcrowded capital they usually worked.

After hearing that Aichi had in fact live in the village behind Hitsue his entire life, Miwa appointed him tour guide, based on their new-found friendship. That made Aichi feel quite honoured, but a bit scared at the same time. He did know Hitsue inside out, but he really couldn't think of anywhere particularly worth visiting.

Hitsue was a large producer of crops, he explained to Miwa on their several kilometre walk to said village. Most locals were farmers, and the colourful shops and markets only came in the last ten years, as a result of the new carriage route that opened over the mountains. Aichi had never gone that way himself, but it was said to be flat and wide but long and tiresome, winding all over the place, and some travellers would rather take the more treacherous way of climbing higher just to save the extra distance.

With the sudden influx of traders and other rich wanderers illuminating the village, Hitsue's popularity grew like a fire; every spring was flooded with people, many coming to admire the peach blossoms that the reclusive Lao Brothers wrote their famous tag-poems on, others to taste the famed peach cuisine that took the gourmet world by storm. This artistic significance, coupled with the town's natural agricultural prosperity, took Hitsue to new heights that the previous generations never knew about.

But that was two years ago. Now, Hitsue was no longer its fresh, vibrant self.

Growing towns are weak, and historians said that all cities must fall to time. However, Hitsue was a newly uncovered country town that was still at the exponential stage of its glory, it was much too early to take time into account. Whatever had caused it to buckle could be nothing short of supernatural. And it was, in a way.

The problem lay with the village's namesake, the Oracle Guardian, Red Eye. Two years ago, it stopped raining. The rice paddies thinned out, wheat lost their shine, even the well water seemed grittier than before. That autumn, Hitsue only managed two thirds of their usual harvest. Only the peach trees stood strong, but even poets lose their appetite when presented with peach stew day after day, differing only by the arrangement of peach petals on top.

To outsiders, it was just an unfortunate weather change. But to the villagers who had worshiped their earthen deity for as long as their home had stood, it was downright rejection. They prayed and offered vehemently at the harvest festival, lighting a brighter bonfire than ever before, hoping the Guardian would respond. But Red Eyes' statue stood impassive under the rainless sky, promising nothing.

The following year's harvest turned out even scarcer.

All villages have the potential to become a city; Hitsue just happened to crumble under bad luck.

Aichi stopped there, because Kai had dropped back to walk beside Miwa, and the tips of his hair were extremely visible in Aichi's peripheral vision.

"What is this Red Eye?" Miwa asked, unconcerned about Kai's presence. Why would he?

"Um," Aichi swallowed. "It's the local guardian deity that people worship. Every year they dedicate a festival to her in the middle of autumn. This year's celebration is tomorrow. There will be promotional events by shops throughout the day and a bonfire at the gate in the evening." He dared a miniscule glance at Kai, whose eyes seemed to narrow slightly. "So y-you might find it interesting, a-and—"

"You talk like you don't belong here," Kai voiced flatly.

Aichi's breath caught. "Th-that's because I live in Peach Valley, it's behind Hitsue and we don't worship Red Eye like the towns people."

Miwa pushed Kai away with both hands and hook an arm over Aichi's shoulders. "Shoo, we're having our bro-talk. Go shoot your daggers somewhere else."

Kai hmphed and moved ahead. Aichi bit his lips nervously. Miwa grinned and leaned closer conspiratorially. "So, Aichi. Here's a real question: how did you know Kai?"

Aichi was startled. For some reason he thought Miwa knew already.

"I-it was quite a long time ago," He looked down self-consciously.

"I know," Miwa let go of him. "I could tell."

"Y-You can?"

"Yeah, it's the way you looked at him."

_The way I looked at him… _Aichi chewed his lips. Did he come off as overly zealous? Creepy? Stalkerish? Panic seeped his system. Maybe it wasn't normal to recognise somebody when you had only met him once, at night, and that was years and years ago.

"I could tell you were looking at the Kai before he changed," Miwa continued. "Not many people knew him."

Aichi blinked. "I was?"

"Yeah. He became a completely different person around three years ago. That's not too long, I know. But people tend to forget he used to be much happier and friendlier."

They both watched Kai's back, sinking into their own thoughts for a moment. The sun beat down on the dirt ground but there was no warmth. Hitsue's colours rose steadily in front of them.

For some reason, Aichi was relieved. The Kai-kun with the blue twinkle in his eyes was real, just different. Blaster Blade was real. Aichi was real. It was just that people change, and Aichi could only hope that things would continue to change for the better.

"What happened?" Aichi asked, breaking the silence.

Miwa grimaced. "A lot of things, all of them really bad. You don't want to know."

Aichi opened his mouth and shut it again. He was prying, he knew. He had an overwhelming thirst to know more about this new Kai, to understand him, and maybe then…

What Miwa meant about his not needing to know, was really that Kai didn't want him to know.

_And then maybe I could look at him in the eye, _Aichi thought a tad miserably.

"Anyway," Miwa turned to him. "You haven't answered my question, Aichi. How did you meet Kai?"

"Uh," Aichi thought hard. "It was almost seven years ago I think. Kai-kun and I met in the forest behind Hitsue."

Miwa raised his eyebrows. "I thought your village was behind Hitsue?"

"The forest on the north side of Hitsue, next to my village," Aichi explained. "It has expanded a lot since last year, so now it almost covers the northwest edge of the town. Some people think it's Red Eye's power."

"Okay," Miwa nodded. "Go on about Kai."

Aichi tried to think of the best way to tell the story without sounding like he cared too much. "Kai-kun saved me from the cold. It just snowed at the time, so it was really wet and he gave me his gloves. He lit a fire with Overlord, and he gave me Blaster Blade. He did that, even though he probably didn't have a spare pair."

"I see."

"He left before I could I could give them back though."

For some reason, it didn't turn out how he had wanted it to sound. Miwa must thought he had some sort of glove fetish. He really didn't though, even if he kept Kai's gloves in his bedside drawer. But if he mentioned it now, Miwa might think he was lying.

"You," Kai interrupted from in front, his voice tinged with annoyance. "We're here."

The familiar dull red, painted stone gate greeted Aichi. His hearing adjusted itself to the bustling square; vendors and peddlers littered all over the streets, bright red and orange paper decorations lined the eaves and windowsills of houses, seeping autumn's colours into the normally white and brown atmosphere.

He welcomed the wave of fatigue that washed over him. The anxiety throughout the trip back home left like the tension in his shoulders, but returned full-scale when his eyes hesitantly landed on Kai again.

He did agree to take them around the place. And since he had just returned home, it wasn't like he would be busy either. But the thought of walking around the festival with Kai and Miwa didn't feel inviting anymore. He could imagine so many things going wrong. He didn't think he could survive a day of not making a further fool of himself in front of them.

"Hey, Aichi. About the tour guide thing," Miwa said. "I was just joking."

Aichi's shoe scratched the dry dirt ground. "Oh."

Miwa chuckled. "Me and Kai will work things out since we've all the time in the world. You're probably busy anyway. So—"

"Actually I'm not. I'm not busy at all," Aichi said quickly. "I mean, Miwa-kun and Kai-kun doesn't know the place well, so maybe I… I mean, if I could…"

"Gotcha," Miwa grinned. The heaviness in Aichi's stomach lifted, leaving behind a bundle of restless embarrassment, and he suddenly wanted to kick himself. His mind seemed to be a giant knot since Kai appeared.

"Wow," Miwa swivelled his head around contently. "This is pleasantly surprising. I'd have thought such a small town would be quieter and, hmm, duller."

"All the townsfolks are preparing for the festival tomorrow," Aichi said. "The orange paper flags and stickers are to celebrate this year's harvest, and the red ones represent our gratitude to Red Eye."

This was one of his favourite time of the year. He remembered his mother taking him and Emi around the town, watching everyone trot up and down the street in their best clothes, greeting one another and generously handing out their homemade dried specialties. It was the one day where no one's eyebrows were marred by tomorrow's worries. Last time he was home he had promised Emi that he would take her to her favourite restaurant again when he came back, but from the look of absurdly cheap menu, it was unlikely they would be able to get a seat inside.

"Aichi!"

_Huh? _He thought he heard Emi's voice. Aichi shook his head a little. _No good. _A man should not miss his little sister after not seeing her for only two weeks.

"Aichi, over here!" Aichi snapped his head to face the direction of the voice, and there was Emi, sitting on a high stool outside the sweets shop, arms folded on her lap and smiling at him.

"Emi!" Aichi couldn't stop the large smile from breaking over his face. "Why are you here?"

"Waiting for you, of course, you dummy," Her face pulled into a chiding scowl. "You said you would be back this morning! I've been here the whole day."

"Uh, I'm sorry," Aichi said guiltily, awkwardly rooted to the ground and hyperaware of Miwa and Kai's presence next to him. Thankfully Emi hopped off the stool with a bounce and made her way towards them.

Miwa waved amicably. "Your sister?"

Aichi nodded. He darted a glance at Kai, who was looking around with an unreadable expression.

Emi introduced herself with a sweet smile. "I hope Aichi wasn't being an idiot."

Miwa laughed. "My name is Miwa. This is Kai. We met Aichi just outside of Hitsue."

"Miwa," Kai cut in. "It's almost time."

"Oh, that's right," Miwa smiled apologetically. "We have an appointment to keep, I almost forgot. See you later, Aichi?"

"Ah yes," Aichi said, feeling a bit of disappointment mixed in with relief. He watched Kai and Miwa turn. Kai's back was straighter than a door sign.

* * *

**Sorry sorry sorry for leaving you guys hanging and **

**Next chapter: Festival, Part I**


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